Ozone alteration for background references using QCL based mid infrared standoff spectroscopy

Mid-Infrared standoff spectroscopy using Quantum Cascade Lasers has been a focus of on-going research for many years. When attempting to detect trace analyte residues, the greatest challenge facing this technology is not in the lasers, but the difficulty in creating a spectroscopic background reference for an unknown surface. Such techniques as Differential Location Measurements fail when analyte concentrations are below 1 μg/cm2. To overcome this challenge of unknown surface backgrounds, we propose a technique to alter the IR absorption peaks of a target analyte by exposing the surface to a high intensity, alternating electric field in a standoff fashion. The high intensity electric field generates ozone radicals from the local air, oxidizing organic compounds on the surface. A spectrum of the surface before and after the ozone radicals is obtained. The ozone altered spectrum acts as the reference background and is compared against the un-altered spectrum, generating a differential signal used to identify the target analyte.